How to create a Victorian style home

Victorian style and decor gets its name from the Victorian Era, the period when Queen Victoria ruled England. Her reign lasted from 1837 to 1901 and was a time when England experienced many decades with peace and economic growth. This impacted how the homes looked and how houses were developed during that period. The Victorian era was also a time when travelling increased, the design was therefore also influenced by other continents, much more than previous periods.

Because of the industrial growth under the Victorian era, many houses were built during this time. London is full of Victorian houses and architecture and I myself lived in a Victorian home while I lived in London.

The Victorian design was know for having a rich and expensive look with heavy colours and fabrics. A design that can seem very outdated in todays world, but there are some learnings we can take and apply to create something special. Here are my tips on how you can take the best out of the Victorian era style and add it to a modern home.

Embrodery and Ribbons

One of the most important factors with the Victorian style, are its many linens. It was a period with a lot of embroidery, ribbons and lace. This could be added to pillows, table cloths, curtains and upholstery. The Victorians tended to overdecorate their homes, covering lace, ribbon and embroidery on almost every surface. Embroidery and lace are perhaps not as used today, but they can still look great when applied using similar, more modern colour schemes, such as shades of white and natural colours.

Jewel Colours

In the Victorian time, it was all about richness. Both in decor but also in colour. The Victorian home often had rich jewel colours on the wall, like emerald green, Ruby or sapphire. There was also a lot of wallpaper with a lots of pattern, especially ‘flocked’ wallpaper. Jewel colours used in todays homes can feel quite heavy. Although it is possible to add these colours in smaller quantities to create a victorian style. In addition, flocked wallpaper in a lighter colour can still look very chic in a modern home.

Ornate Frames

Another great way to style a Victorian Home was to apply rich, ornate style picture frames, normally in gold. They used both thin, thicker and ornate frames – for a Morden home, I would advise to go for thinner frames. A smaller, table picture frame is easier to blend in with a modern home and add a touch of Victorian style.

Dark funiture

In the Victorian era, dark and wooden furniture was common and furniture was normally heavily decorated with carvings. Tables could be distressed, since they were normally dressed with white and floral sheets. Table drapes were normally so long that they fell all the way down to the floor.

Decorated China

Another key element of Victorian design was the use of decorated china sets. They worked very well with the rich colours and design within Victorian rooms. Items were often hand painted and contained lots of different colour combinations. A great way to bring this style into a modern home could be to choose china that is more toned down in colour. This could be china with one or two colours that already blend well with the room.

Jewerly Boxes

To make the atmosphere look luxurious and expensive, jewellery boxes were a great way to add decor to a home. You could show off your rhinestones and broaches by adding an Victorian jewellery box. The boxes existed in all sizes and shapes, but were normally made of tin. Adding boxes to you home is easy way to add Victorian decor into a modern home. You don’t need them to be used for jewellery, you can instead use them for something more practical, like mints or other treats.